How many calories is normal for each meal?

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  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    This is not true! Ask any professional dietician or nutritionist! Do your research please!

    done and done

    if you'd like to read some on meal frequency;

    http://www­.ncbi.nlm.­nih.gov/pu­bmed/19943­985
    This study shows there was no difference in weight loss between subjects with high/low meal frequencie­s.

    http://www­.ncbi.nlm.­nih.gov/pu­bmed/91554­94
    Evidence supports that meal frequency has nothing to do with energy in the subjects.

    http://www­.ncbi.nlm.­nih.gov/pu­bmed/11319­656
    Yet again, no difference in energy in the subjects compared to 2 meals/d to 6 meals/d.

    http://www­.ncbi.nlm.­nih.gov/pu­bmed/19059­98
    Eur J Clin Nutr. 1991 Mar;45(3):­161-9.Link­s
    Influence of the feeding frequency on nutrient utilizatio­n in man: consequenc­es for energy metabolism­.

    http://www­.ncbi.nlm.­nih.gov/pu­bmed/11319­656
    Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2001 Apr;25(4):­519-28.Lin­ks
    Compared with nibbling, neither gorging nor a morning fast affect short-term energy balance in obese patients in a chamber calorimete­r.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I don't think there is a "normal", as you'll probably find from all the responses. Everyone is different. Different schedules, different bodies, different metabolisms. Just find a plan that works for you. As long as you have energy throughout the day, aren't hungry (often or for long) and are meeting your nutritional and calorie goals then you have found your "normal".

    Find something that you can live with.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    The frequency of meals and timing of your food is very important when It comes to weigt loss. For weight loss the only real time that carbs are needed is first thing in the morning, pre-workout and post-workout. Post workout being one of the most important due to the fact that you Need simple carbs (sugar) to help stabilize your insulin levels which will go out of whack during your workout. Without stabilizing your insulin to glycogen levels your body will start to break down muscle in the recovery period after a workout.....not good. Simp,e carbs like water lemon, kiwi, banana.....etc are great post workout with a protein shake.

    As a basic plan you can follow Katiemarie4488's advice. Spread your meals out throughout the day every 2-3 hours. No need for carbs and fats in the same meal. So it's either protein and carbs or protein and heathy fats or EFA's. No carbs after supper unless it's your post workout carb meal

    Regards

    so my muscles will go all catabolic on me if i don't stabilize my insulin levels right after working out?

    and for weight loss, please explain how CHO after dinner is any different then before dinner if you are in caloric deficit? is there some magic fairy that turns CHO after dinner right to fat?
  • silkysly
    silkysly Posts: 701 Member
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    Feel free to rummage though my diary…, some days are different than others.
  • akaChuck
    akaChuck Posts: 233 Member
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    I usually have most of my calories in the morning because I have a long day of training for my sport...lunch and snacks are probably the lightest amount of calories because I'm busy skating and don't want a stomach ache (who does?!). Once skating is done and I have dinner it's about the same amount of calories (perhaps 100-200 calories less than bkfast). It really is based off of what KIND of foods I eat during the day. Carbs in the AM, and protein>carbs in the PM.

    It works well for me but hey, everyone is different! Try a few different meal plans and see what makes you feel best by the end of the day.
  • naturallykat
    naturallykat Posts: 115 Member
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    Wow you guys, such a lot of confusing and conflicting advice, but thank you all for your thoughts.

    I think I'll just carry on as I have been doing and as quite a few of you say; find what works for me. Since I've a lot to lose and am on 1700 cals a day that's working out at around 350 for breakfast, 450 for lunch and 900 for dinner. I'm not too bothered about snacks, I don't seem to get hungry between meals unless I'm bored or trying to procrastinate something else!
  • sal0118
    sal0118 Posts: 84
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    Bump
  • BrewerGeorge
    BrewerGeorge Posts: 397 Member
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    It is irrelevant. You can eat all of your calories at one sitting if you’d like. The time of day, frequency, and size of meals has no effect on weight loss as long as you are hitting your calorie goal and macro goals.

    This is not true! Ask any professional dietician or nutritionist! Do your research please!
    There is a big difference between how easily you gain weight when you over eat, and what happens when you UNDER eat. Every bit of advice you ever hear about diet should have an asterisk beside it. That asterisk should say "subject to calorie net."

    It is an immutable fact of physics, let alone biology, that you absolutely cannot gain fat if you eat fewer calories than you burn. If that worked, we'd be using pig fat for fuel and get away from Middle Eastern oil! You could eat 1000 Cal of potato chips once a day, or 1000 cal of balanced, raw food and you will not gain fat if you burn 1500 Cal that day. (If it appears that you've done so, it means that you are mis-estimating what you're burning.)

    Everything to do with diet composition and scheduling is a tweak. They can make things more or less efficient, but they are all subject to the master equation of calories in vs calories out.

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